Wauwatosa recruits minority teachers, staff
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A group of Wauwatosa students is pushing for change and representation within the district. Members of the Black Student Union created a video to help recruit more teachers and staff of color in the Wauwatosa School District.
"Having someone who looks like me to encourage me and teach me, whether in the classroom or administration, would make me proud of who I am," a student says in the video.
The video, made up of Wauwatosa middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds, is aimed at recruiting more minority teachers for available positions in the school district.
"Diversity in our staff is so important, especially because our staff are our teachers and our mentors," a student says in the video.
The video was created by members of the Black Student Union. Layla Allen is co-leader of the group at Wauwatosa West High School.
"Every person has their own experience," said Allen. "When teachers can bring that into their learning, not only do they make it a more welcoming environment for those students that they can relate to, but they also share those experiences with their students that may not look exactly like them."
Students at Longfellow Middle School said having teachers that look like them can also have a positive impact when it comes to comfort in the classroom.
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"It would be more comfortable knowing there’s more diversity and more people of all backgrounds in this school," said Winter Hamilton. "It makes me feel like I’m included."
"Right now, a little over 9% of staff of color exists in the district," said Nasif Rogers, director of equity with the Wauwatosa School District.
Wauwatosa administrators say the school district has 42 teachers and six administrators of color; working to find and hire more minority teachers by engaging in targeted recruitment strategies.
"So reaching out directly to HBCU, teacher prep programs in the area, posting our opening on different websites and social media," said Rogers.
Allen said she wants to be a teacher to help create change.
"I think this will just become part of an ongoing effort to promote equity within the Wauwatosa schools," she said.
At first, the students thought about sending out an email but thought creating a video and sharing why diversity matters would have a greater impact.